Tag: Coleman

Coleman Technical Industries Limited, makers of Coleman Wires and Cables, has rewarded employees for their dedication, loyalty, and contribution to the company’s remarkable success story, built on continuous training, retraining, and deliberate capacity building.

The Staff Appreciation Day, held in Lagos, over the weekend, was among the activities organised to commemorate the company’s golden jubilee, officially marked on July 1, 2025.

Long-serving staff were specially recognised for their years of dedicated service. Employees with 15 years and above received N100, 000 each, while those who had served 20 years and above received N200, 000.

The company’s longest-serving staff member, Mrs. Adefemi Grace, who has worked with Coleman for 38 years, received the highest cash prize—close to N1 million.

Other honourees included Aloma Samuel (Production), Atanda Ganiyu (Maintenance), Olanade Adetunji (Accounts), Bamishile Johnson (Production), Ifedayo Olanrewaju, Jubril Ganiyu, Ikini Enahoro, and Mrs. Adefemi Grace.

Read Also: Coleman CEO calls for investments in telecom value chain

Winners of the second raffle draw—Ojejinmi Oluwaseyi, Adeleke Folashade, Abah Henry, Okosun Joy, and Aladesesin Henry—each went home with N50,000.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/CEO, Mr. George Onafowokan, expressed profound gratitude to all staff members, noting that Coleman’s five-decade journey was a collective achievement made possible by the commitment and hard work of its workforce.

“We cannot be here without all of you,” Onafowokan said, adding, “The journey to 50 is about every one of us. Though the company is not officially 50 yet, we’re celebrating the people behind the success story.

“As we step into our next chapter, we look forward to upgrading not just our systems but also our staff welfare, including new salary structures.”

Onafowokan, who described the evening as a rare opportunity for bonding beyond the work environment, encouraged employees to unwind and enjoy the event.

The lively celebration brought together employees from the company’s Sagamu and Arepo plants and featured awards, cash prizes, raffle draws, games, and dance competitions in an atmosphere filled with excitement and camaraderie.

The evening’s activities, which included scavenger hunts, dance competitions, and other engaging games, reflected the company’s enduring culture of unity, appreciation, and teamwork.

The celebration ended on a high note with cheers, laughter, and renewed motivation as Coleman Wires and Cables looks ahead to its golden jubilee milestone with pride and optimism.

With a staff strength of about 800 and still growing, the company remains committed to rewarding excellence and sustaining its legacy of innovation and resilience.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Coleman Wires and Cables Industries Limited, Mr. George Onafowokan, has urged stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecom sector to embrace bold, in-country investments to bridge skill gaps and drive indigenous growth.

Speaking as a panelist at the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Skill Gaps in the Telecom Value Chain, themed “Bridging the Telecom Value Chain Skill Gaps — Empowering Indigenous Talents for Industry Growth,” Onafowokan emphasised that becoming an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in Nigeria requires not just courage but a willingness to defy skepticism.

“First and foremost, the biggest issue is this: are you brave enough—or crazy enough—to invest?” he said. According to him, “To become an OEM manufacturer here means investing in in-country production, not sitting in India or China and exporting products to Nigeria.”

READ ALSO: Five smart ways Nigerians in Diaspora grow local ventures

He cited Coleman’s pioneering efforts in local production, including the establishment of Nigeria’s first fiber optic cable factory in 2022, with a 60,000 cable-kilometer annual capacity. By October 2025, a second plant in Shagamu will be commissioned, boosting total output to over 300,000 cable kilometers annually.

Onafowokan highlighted that Coleman’s venture with global giant Corning is 100 per cent equity-owned and fully Nigerian, yet local buyers still tend to prefer imports.

“The fiber you buy from us is exactly the same as what you get from Corning or anywhere else—only cheaper here,” he noted.

As the company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Onafowokan stressed that Coleman’s success has been built on continuous training, retraining, and deliberate capacity building. Currently, the company employs around 800 staff, with fewer than 10 expatriates, and nearly 50 per cent of its cable products are not manufactured elsewhere in Africa.

“Training, retraining, and developing people has been the backbone of our growth,” he said, adding, “We’ve deliberately invested in high-technology products, positioning Nigeria as a hub.

“Our cables touch every sector—telecoms, power, housing, oil and gas—making us a vital part of national development.”

Coleman Wires and Cable Industries Limited has partnered NOG Energy Week 2024 to enhance awareness about the impact of local content and the growing capacity in the manufacturing industry.

The company’s Managing Director, Mr. George Onafowokan, who made this known over the weekend, said its partnership with the NOG conference was driven by the significant impact of their products in the oil and gas sector.

NOG Energy Week is the largest annual oil conference in Nigeria, bringing together industry players from upstream, downstream, and mainstream sectors.

It provides a platform for networking, discussing industry developments, and addressing critical issues, with government participation.

Onafowokan, in a statement made available to The Nation, noted that Coleman now produces 100 per cent of specialized oil and gas cables in Nigeria, reducing the need for imports.

“All gas-related cables are produced by Coleman. Cables that were previously imported for oil and gas projects are now being manufactured locally by us.

“This has been a key focus over the last three to five years, leading to our active participation with NOG and the oil and gas sector,” Onafowokan stated.

Read Also: COREN, Coleman sign MoU on local content

He emphasised that creating awareness about locally sourced products and building local content capacity significantly benefits the industry..

Onafowokan underscored the importance of the conference in shaping the company’s strategic investments saying, “The discussions on local content over the years have guided our investments, enabling us to develop the capacity that drives our business in instrumentation and other areas.

“Meeting other industry players at NOG has had a direct impact on our strategic investments.”

He also highlighted the potential for developing more capacity in gas projects, energy, and the manufacturing sector.

“There are significant opportunities in these areas, including energy renewal, that we aim to explore,” he concluded.